The rise and fall of the Peppermint shrimps.
Just over 4.5 months ago I nervously introduced three Peppermint shrimp into my reef tank. All three settled into the rockwork on the left hand side of the tank and would pop out at feeding time to steal any fish food that happened to land near to their home. As the weeks progressed the Aiptasia gradually started to disappear and I rejoiced, they were welcome to steal fish food as long as they kept up with their main job of Aiptasia snacking. However as the weeks ticked by they became more disruptive, they would roam around the tank after lights out and try and steal extra food from the NPS corals. I would feed the shrimp directly to keep them busy at coral feeding time but they consumed it double quick and still wanted to steal more. It became impossible to feed the sun corals in the evening. I tried feeding them earlier in the day so that the food would be fully engulfed and well on the way to being digested before the shrimps came out prowling. This worked to a certain extent but no matter how I tried I couldn't get all of the corals to open up during the day. Plus I had fish issues to contend with (the yellow wrasse liked to steal food too at that time). I kept at it for a while but the sun corals weren't looking as great as they used to. Pre shrimp days they would look glorious in the evenings when they were all fully extended but they learnt that night-time brings out pointy/stabby claws so began closing up tight. The Dendrophyllia seemed more affected than the Tubastrea. One night I checked on the tank and saw a pair of shrimp climbing all over the Dendrophyllia trying to pull food out from within the polyp heads, I decided right there and then that the shrimp had to go. I kind of hated them by that point. The following evening I placed the small fish trap on the sand next to the Dendrophyllia, baited it with fish food and waited. To my disappointment and frustration not a single shrimp was interested in my all you can eat buffet. I tried again the following evening but still nothing, wth! Maybe the fish trap was putting them off somehow (I'm not a fan of it either to be honest, the door does rock to and fro due to the pulsing action of the powerheads). I decided to go old school and try a DIY trap. I simply took a plastic bottle, chopped off the top half and inverted it into the lower half. A small hole was drilled into the lower half so it could be baited with food and it was weighted down in the tank with a small rock. I added some bits of mysis etc and settled down to wait. 45 minutes later I had my first shrimp prisoner, woo hoo! The shrimp was transferred to the refugium to serve his (or her) jail sentence. I've named this shrimp 'the bold one'. The following evening I baited the trap again and waited... and waited... and waited but I never saw a single shrimp at all. I went to bed a little disheartened but determined to keep going till the remaining shrimp were caught. The next morning I got up to find that the trap had done its job overnight and caught another shrimp. The shrimp was cowering behind the tiny rock in the trap. I was really quite surprised that it hadn't managed to find its way out again. This shrimp, now known as 'the stupid one', was transferred to the refugium to join his 'bold' friend. Two down and one to go. I felt confident that one more evening and the final shrimp would be mine. However it proved not to be, although the shrimp approached the entrance to the trap at least three times it just refused to go in. I went to bed hopeful that it would enter overnight and be waiting in the trap to go and join the others in the morning. Sadly all I found in the trap the following day was a conch! I tried six more nights to catch the last shrimp (who was now named 'the clever one') but no matter how I baited the trap with tasty food he would not be caught. The Nassarius snails were having a field day instead, lol. As the days progressed I began to notice that the Dendrophyllia started to look a little better so I decided to call it quits for the time being. Two weeks of staking out the tank after lights out was getting somewhat old. It could stay put as long as it wasn't doing any damage to my corals. It's been a month since 'operation shrimp trap' and I am happy to report that sun corals have returned to normal again and look amazing once more. Unfortunately I've noticed some Aiptasia popping up once again around the tank.... Argh!!! One step forward and one step back yet again.
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AuthorHi, my name is Lisa and I live in Derby, UK. I am a self-confessed reefaholic! Archives
July 2022
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